Spark
by B Cardoso
Summary: Felicity is feeling like an outcast in Team Arrow. Maybe another vigilante asking for her help will put things in perspective. [post ep 213] Felicity/Oliver, Felicity/Bruce
1. Chapter 01

**A/N:** Hey guys! This story is fangirl therapy for me. I've been so disappointed with the show after Oliver slept with Isabel and Sara, all the while stringing Felicity along, that I have just given up on the show and decided to stop watching it and start focusing on the wonderful world of Felicity fics.

* * *

Felicity opened the door to her apartment, thew her purse on the couch, took off her high heels and sighed. She really needed a glass of red wine. On her way to the kitchen she turned her computer on, before pouring herself a glass of her favorite wine and bringing the bottle with her to the coffee table where her computer sat.

She had felt like an outcast her whole life, always a joke to others. When she was a child the other kids would pick on her because of her runaway father and crazy mother. In high school her bubbly personality and social awkwardness became the issue. Then she went to MIT and the fact that she was an attractive blonde woman apparently meant that she couldn't be smart or that she hadn't got in on her own merits. Queen Consolidated hadn't been much better for a long while. But then she became part of Team Arrow and suddenly being a fake blonde who said whatever came to her mind wasn't a problem anymore.

And then there was Oliver. Handsome caring Oliver, who just happened to be a hero to the city. And she let herself believe that maybe there was something more between them. Apparently, they couldn't be together because the life he led, or so he had told her, but for a moment she really thought there was a spark between them.

At least that's what she believed until she was told that Oliver was dating Sara. And suddenly Felicity was the only kid in the playground without a friend to play with again. Diggle had Lyla, Roy had Thea, Oliver had Sara and she had... her computers. On the bright side her computers couldn't turn their back on her.

She took a sip of her wine and started working on a new program that would help gather information from different databases more quickly, while downing most of the bottle of wine for the next hour, when a chat box opened on her screen.

Felicity furrowed her eyebrows and moved the mouse to close the window when she received a message, "_Good evening, Miss Smoak._"

She sat up a little straighter and started to run a program to track the IP address of whoever it was when she received another message, "_You're wasting your time trying to track my IP._"

A minute later she came to the conclusion he was right; whoever it was, he was definitely good. She knew it was most probably a hacker or a criminal or both, but still against her better judgment she decided to answer back. "_Who are you?_", she typed. She knew there was a good chance this person wouldn't reveal their identity to her, but she had to at least try.

A few seconds later came the reply, "_People in Gotham City call me Batman_."

"_So, you're Gotham's vigilante?_" she typed quickly.

"_That would be correct._"

"_Let's pretend I believe you... what do you want from me?_"

"_Your help._"

Felicity fell back on her chair and finished her glass of wine in a sip. She didn't know if she could deal with two vigilantes and more important, she wasn't sure if this Batman she was talking to was the real deal.

"_Why do you think I can help you?_" she asked the supposedly vigilante before opening a new window and looking for information on Batman.

The news, articles and pictures of Batman went along the same lines one would find if they googled "The Hood". Both vigilantes tried to fight crime at night, were adored by some and hated by others and seemed to have their own honor code. One difference she found, though, was that there were no deaths linked directly to Batman while she knew Oliver had quite a few.

"_I've heard you've been helping the Hood in Starling City._"

"How did he find out?" she murmured to herself, while typing, "_I don't know where you've heard that but you're wrong_."

"_I know that you hacked into Merlyn Global and that you were bait for the Dollmaker while working for the Hood_." Felicity bit her lip unsure of what to answer but before she could decide the new vigilante send her another message. "_Besides, I'm quite sure the Hood doesn't have the abilities needed to track criminals online or to deactivate an earthquake machine. You saved a lot of lives that night._"

She couldn't help but smile a little. No one besides Team Arrow and detective Lance knew that she was the one who found out how to deactivate the earthquake machine and though she still felt guilty for not finding out there were two machines in the Glades and not being able to prevent the undertaking from happening, it was still nice that someone had finally pointed out it could have been much worse.

"_Even if what you are saying was true, and I'm not saying it is, I still don't know how I could help you when I live in Starling City while you live in Gotham City._"

"_I need some files decrypted. If you agree, I'll send you a flash drive with the files_."

Felicity's eyebrows furrowed again, "_I'm sure it's not the first time you need files decrypted and by the fact I couldn't track your IP I think you're doing just fine technologically wise. Why would you need my help?_"

"_There was someone who used to help me with hacking and gadgets but he decided to retire. So, are you going to help me?_"

Felicity tilted her head to side while staring at the bright screen trying to decided just that. The supposedly vigilante seemed to be the real deal but what if he was just a criminal passing as the vigilante. "_How can I be sure you're really Batman and not some impostor?_"

It took a couple of minutes for her to finally get a reply. "_Check Gotham's paper tomorrow. Good night, Miss Smoak._"

A moment later the chat room closed on its own. Deciding she had had enough for the night Felicity turned off her computer, closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Had she just dreamed the last ten minutes or had another vigilante really asked for her help? She shook her head, turned off the living room lights and walked to her bedroom; she just needed a good night of sleep to clear her head.

* * *

Felicity arrived at Queen Consolidated bright and early the next day. She printed Oliver's schedule for the day and put it on his desk next to documents he had to go through and the numbers from last month. She knew she wasn't as good as an EA as she was as an IT, but she really thought she was doing better.

Of course, she still wouldn't server anyone coffee, especially not Oliver, but she knew he still needed someone to schedule his meetings and help him with the company, and that was her job.

She sat behind her desk and started going through her tasks for the day when she received a message on her phone with a link. Clicking on the link, a new window opened with the cover of Gotham's paper on it. The cover had a picture of a criminal wearing normal clothes but also a green hood, holding a sign that read "I still need your help", chained to the Bat Spotlight that stayed on the police department's roof, with the headline "Batman captures hacker who stole money from multiple charities."

A minute later she receives another message from the same blocked number, "_Proof enough?_"

She thought it was proof enough but there was still another problem, "_If I do this I'll have to tell Arrow I'm helping you._"

"_You mean the Hood?_"

"_He prefers to be called Arrow now._"

"_Tell him, if you insist. You'll receive the flash drive by tonight. Have a nice day, Miss Smoak._"

Great, one vigilante was dealt with. Now she just had to tell Oliver she was helping another vigilante.

* * *

**A/N:** Please, review and let me know if I should continue this or not.


	2. Chapter 02

**A/N:** Thank you guys so much for the reviews. I'm amazed at the response to this fic. I hope you guys enjoy this chap. Please, read and review.

* * *

Oliver arrived late in the morning at Queen Consolidated, but then again he was always late. He had greeted her as he walked to his office and she had murmured a "good morning" back, but hadn't looked up at him.

He could be obviously at times but he wasn't completely stupid. He had noticed Felicity's change in behavior for the last week, since she learned he was dating Sara. She talked less and started spending more time with Diggle and Roy, sometimes even teaching them how to use some of her hacking programs.

But the worst part was how different their relationship was at the moment. Felicity had always been socially awkward and he had always found it something between amusing and adorable. However, for the last week she had been uncomfortably awkward around him, as if she didn't know how to talk to him anymore. He believed that they would eventually go back to the relationship they had before; she just needed a little time.

Still, it didn't make it any easier to watch Felicity through the glass wall, pacing outside his office, stealing glances at him every now and then. After discreetly watching her pace for almost ten minutes, he sighed and finally called out to her, "Felicity, can you come into my office?"

Felicity was startled for a moment before walking into the room with a fake smile, "Do you need anything?"

He stared at her for a moment, "I need to know what has had you pacing outside my office for the last ten minutes."

She bit her lip, "We need to talk." She sat on the chair across from his, smoothed down her dress and stared at Oliver, who just raised his eyebrows. Then suddenly she stood up, frowning, and adjusted her glasses, "I think I prefer to do this standing."

Oliver tried to hide a small smile without much success. "Is it something related to our afterwork activities?"

"No," she quickly shook her head, then furrowed her eyebrows. "I mean, maybe. It kind of is, but not really."

"Felicity..." he said her name in a sigh and somehow she thought it was a cue to start rambling.

"It's nothing really related to what _we_ do. It's about something_ I_ decided to do. But since it's kind of related to what _you_ do, I thought it would be better to give you a heads up. You know, in case it somehow becomes part of what _we_ do-"

He cut her off, "Felicity, you're not making sense."

"Right... Do you know Batman? Gotham's vigilante?"

Oliver sat up straight on his chair, resting his arms on the desk, his voice calm and controlled, the way he spoke when he was the Arrow. "I know of him, what the papers say. Why? Is he in town? Has he caused any problems?"

Felicity waved her hand in a gesture of dismissal, "No, no, nothing like that. This Batman vigilante talked to me last night. Actually, he didn't really talk, we chatted... online. He was very polite, especially for a vigilante. Anyway, he asked my help with something and at first I wasn't sure if I should help him because, come on, what kind of vigilante asks for help in a chat box? Usually lights go off and they appear at the most unusual places, like your apartment, and stand tall next to some open window, a little hidden in the dark," she shook her head to clear the idea before continuing. "Anyway, he proved that he really is Batman, and he needs my help, so I told him 'yes'."

The only work that he seemed to be able to say was, "Yes?"

"Yeah, I mean, I may not have used exactly the word 'yes' but I most certainly agreed to help him."

"Why would you do that?"

"Uhm... because he asked for my help?" she answer matter-of-factly.

He raised a hand, "I don't think that's a good idea. We don't know him. Half the papers portray him as a criminal."

"I researched him and he seems to be legit. And the other half of the papers portray him as a hero, just like they do you." She sighed, "Oliver, I'm not asking for your permission, I'm telling you that I'm doing this."

"It could be dangerous," he tried to reason with her.

"The job that I do with you is dangerous."

And that's the reason he had been telling himself, as well as her, that they couldn't be together. "I don't take you to the field. What does he need your help with anyway?"

She found it a little insulting the way he asked, as if there was nothing she could do to help Batman, but chose to ignore it. "He just needs me to decrypt some files."

"But what if this is not the only favor he asks you? What if next time he asks you to do field work?"

Felicity huffed and crossed her arms against her chest, "Then we will see. Since I started working with you I've worn a bomb collar, been held at gunpoint and was attacked by the Dollmaker and that didn't stop me from working with you. That's not even the worst that I had to endure to work with you," she closed her eyes, bringing a hand to her temple and shaking her head.

Oliver opened his mouth to say something but no words came out. He definitely didn't want to get into that topic.

"It doesn't matter," she told him, still shaking her head. "This is the right thing to do, so I'm doing it," she told him, turned around and left his office.

As far as she was concerned that conversation was over.

* * *

When the door to the lair opened loudly Felicity turned around in her chair quickly with a guilty expression on her face. For some reason she expected it to be Oliver but instead she was faced with Diggle as he approached her.

"What are you doing here? I thought there was no chasing bad guys tonight," she said while checking her cell to see if there were any missed calls or messages but finding none.

"There is no mission tonight but I told Roy I would spar with him to help him control his strength. What are you up to?" He got closer to her computers and frowned, "Is that guy wearing a cape?"

She giggled and turned to see the picture Diggle was looking at, "Uhm.. yeah. This is Batman, Gotham's vigilante. The cape is a little too much, don't you think? And the bat mask too. I mean, I get that he has to wear a mask but he doesn't really need bat ears, right? And the cape looks all bad ass but I bet it's not very helpful while fighting criminals."

Diggle looked at her strangely, "Why are you researching about Batman? Is he in town? Are we trying to take him down?"

She firmly shook her head, "No, no, no. We are most definitely not trying to take him down. Where's Roy, by the way?"

"He will be here any minute and don't try to change the subject. Why do you have articles and reports about this guy?"

"Well, it's a funny story, really. He contacted me last night."

"He what? Are you okay? Did he hurt you?"

She shook her head and waved a hand dismissively, "I'm fine. He contacted me online. He probably wasn't even wearing his Batman costume while we were talking." She straightened her back and blushed, "Not that I think he was naked. I mean, he was probably wearing regular clothes, right? There is no reason to wear a bat mask and a cape while chatting with someone online."

Diggle couldn't help but smile at Felicity's nervous rants. He had been worried about her lately. After Sara had joined the team Felicity had become uncomfortable around them and to hear her rambling again was comforting to him. He pulled a chair and sat next to her. "You still haven't told me why you're researching this vigilante."

Felicity nervously brushed a strand of hair behind her ear and furrowed her eyebrows, "He asked for my help with some files and I agreed to help him. But after telling Oliver about it I started to wonder if Batman really was one of the good guys. So I decided to come here and do I deeper research on him, check if there were any casualities related to him, what kind of criminals he goes after, weapons he uses... things that would help me figure out what kind of person he is."

Diggle raised his eyes, "And...?"

She gave him a shy smile, "I think he is one of the good guys." She turned on her chair and started typing, pulling up certain articles about Gotham's vigilante on her screens, "He has been doing this vigilante thing for years and he always tries his hardest to avoid any casualities. He doesn't really target a specific type of criminal. He just goes after whoever is terrorizing the city at the moment. Oh, and Gotham's police department has the coolest thing," she told him, pulling up a picture, "they have a huge spotlight with Batman's symbol on their roof. So, whenever they need him they just turn it on and he shows up. Wouldn't it be nice if Starling's police would rather ask for Oliver's help instead of trying to shoot him?"

Diggle chuckled, "I wouldn't hold my breath over that. Oliver wasn't exactly a role model to vigilantes considering he used to put arrows through most of his targets."

Felicity shrugged but didn't comment. Diggle was right and Felicity glad she didn't need to worry about giving Batman information that would lead to someone's death.

They heard the door to the lair open again and knew that Roy had arrived. Diggle took a deep breath and rested his hand over Felicity's, "I know you believe this vigilante is a nice guy, and maybe he is, but please be careful anyway. Don't try to meet him without backup or do anything dangerous for him. And if you think something is fishy or you just need to talk, remember that I'm here for you, okay?"

Felicity smiled widely and threw her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly, "Thank you!"

"Did I walk into something or is this how you two usually spar?" They heard Roy mock and stepped back.

Roy was already walking to the mat, so Diggle gave Felicity another smile before following him. She was glad to have Diggle as her friend. There had been so many changes lately that left her feeling lost and unfit to be in the team that it was good to know she could still count on Dig no matter what.

She turned around on her chair facing the computers and started typing again. There was still a lot to learn about Gotham's vigilante.


	3. Chapter 03

It was a little after nine o'clock when Felicity finally arrived home. She opened her door and taking the first step into her living room she felt like she had kicked something. She turned on the lights, closed the door and took the small envelope that laid on the floor. It didn't take a genius to know it most probably was the flash drive Batman had asked her to decrypt, so it was no surprise when she opened the envelope and the small object fell on her open palm.

Turning her computer on and leaving the flash drive next to it, she decided she deserved at least half an hour to herself before she started working for the new vigilante in her life. She took a long-ish steaming shower and put on a pair of sweatpants and a lose tee-shirt. Then she went to the kitchen and grabbed a tub of Rocky Road ice cream and a spoon before taking her place in front of her computer.

Felicity had just plugged the flash drive into her computer and had a spoonful of ice cream half away to her mouth when a chat box opened on her screen, "_Good evening, Miss Smoak_".

She groaned, "I can't believe this. Is it a prerequisite to be a vigilante to be impatient?" she asked the empty living room.

"_I haven't started working on the files yet_," she replied. "_I do have a day job, you know?_"

"_Yes, as the Executive Assistant of Oliver Queen, at Queen Consolidated._"

"_How do you know that?_" she quickly typed before asking herself aloud, "And what else do you know?"

"_Did you really think I wouldn't run a background check on you before asking for your help?_"

"_I have to tell you... that's a little creepy._"

"_I apologize. But I had to be sure you were trustworthy_."

Felicity rolled her eyes and minimized the chat box to start working on the files he had sent her. Twenty minutes later she had made very little progress with the files when she noticed she had received a new message and opened the chat box again.

"_I didn't expect you to have finished decrypting the files_," she read. "_I just wanted to ask you about your day._"

She smiled and ate another spoon of ice cream, "_There isn't much to tell. Not many adventures in the exciting life of an EA,_" she joked.

"_About that, why did you accept to work as an EA when you were on your way to become the head of the IT department?_"

"You and me both wonder about that, buddy," she told the screen, but typed, "_It's complicated_."

"_That means the reason is related to Arrow?_"

Felicity tilted her head to the side, "Well, at least I know he is not stupid."

"_What am I looking for in these files?_" she pointedly ignored his question and changed the subject.

It took a couple of minutes for him to reply and she could bet he was wondering whether to answer her question or insist on the topic of her job. In the end he answered, "_Do you know Margaret Pye?_"

Felicity didn't recognize the name, then again she didn't know many people from Gotham, just the celebrities that made the cover of the newspapers and gossip magazines.

"_Give me a minute_," she replied and opened Gotham's Police Department database.

After agreeing to help batman last night, she thought it would be a good idea to hack into the local police's database as well as check out the main newspapers and police reports to know what she was getting herself into.

There were no results with Margaret Pye's name in the police's database, so she decided to go old school and just google it. In seconds she found out the woman was Gotham's Museum curator and the highlights of her life.

She went back to the chat box and started typing, "_She is a big name in the art world, curator of Gotham's Museum and she specializes in antiquity. No record, no red flags."_

_"Check out the alias Magpie_," was his simple reply.

Quickly Felicity found out numerous reports on an unidentified criminal who stole incredibly expensive jewelry, usually named after birds, leaving fakes in their place. The thief had been working all over the world and didn't leave any clues behind.

"_So Margaret Pye is actually Magpie?_"

"_Yes. And i believe she already has another heist in mind_."

"_Care to share?_"

"_Warren Worthington's foundation is going to offer a ball for the Glades in Starling City on Saturday and they will be showcasing and auctioning some of his family's jewels, including the Hummingbird diamond._"

She sighed a little disappointed and asked, "_So you want Arrow to put a stop on her when she comes to town?_"

"_No. The files I sent you contain information about the jewels she has stolen and sold, including the price, the buyer and the bank accounts the money was wired to_."

She nodded to the screen, a little relieved he wasn't using her to get in contact with Oliver, "_So you want to follow the money..._"

"_And arrest her before she goes to Starling City._"

Felicity sighed and ate another spoon of ice cream. She hated to have to give people bad news but sometimes there was no choice, "_There is only one problem, I don't have a key to decrypt the files and there is a lot of data so it will take a while to get it done. I'm not sure I can deliver the information before the ball._"

And then what was supposed to be her helping Batman would become a Team Arrow mission. Strangely, she was excited to be working with Gotham's vigilante and didn't want to share him with the rest of the team; at least not yet. She tapped her nails against the coffee table anxiously waiting for Batman's reply.

"_Don't worry, if you can't get the information by then I will find another way to catch her._"

She bit her lip, she didn't like it one bit but she had to offer, "_If you need Arrow's help I can get in contact with him._" She sent the message reminding herself that in the end they had to focus on the mission and she couldn't just let a thief go free so she didn't have to share Batman with the rest of the team.

It took him a few minutes to answer and as she nervously waited for him she devoured half of the tub of ice cream. When she finally read his new message she had to smile. It was his turn to ignore her question and change the subject, "_You didn't really answer my question about how your day was_."

"_It was good. The EA job is not exactly difficult, it's just a little boring... Scheduling meetings, answering e-mails on behalf of my boss, dealing with bitchy mean co-CEOs..._"

"_And I bet you didn't dream of serving coffee when you graduated summa cum laude from MIT_."

She started laughing but then frowned, "_Remember when I told you it was a little creepy that you did a background check on me? Well, I was wrong, it's VERY creepy_." She paused, then continued, "_And I don't serve coffee. It was one of my conditions to accept the job._"

"_Does the fact you were offended that I did a background check on you mean that you didn't look into me before and after agreeing to help me?_"

She stared at the screen and rolled her eyes, "_You're a vigilante, I had to know if you really were a good guy or just pretending to be one. Besides, I only found out who you've arrested and the police cases were involved in. I have no idea where you work or how you did in college. Or even if you went to college or have a job_," she defended herself.

"_So, what else did you do after work besides looking into me?_" he decided to continue the conversation as if she hadn't just scolded him.

"_Nothing really. There were no big bad terrorizing the city tonight so we had the night off. I just did some more research on you and came home_."

"_Have you told Arrow yet?_"

"_Yes_," she replied shortly.

"_And?_"

"_He is not happy but he knows it's my choice and there is nothing he can do about it._"

"_I'm glad you didn't change your mind because of him._"

She smiled reading the message. To be honest she was glad for that, too. Oliver was possessive and controlling and she knew if it was up to him she would not be helping Batman. Instead, she would continue to live her life revolving it around him as both Oliver Queen and Arrow. But she couldn't do that anymore. She was happy to help him save the city and she knew the team appreciated her work but she couldn't keep spending all her time, both during and after work, on Oliver when she couldn't see a future with him. She needed to find new friends outside Team Arrow, even if they were vigilantes that she only talked to through online messages.

Checking the clock she was surprised too see it was later that she expected. "_I hate to cut this short but I should go back to working on those files if you want me to decrypt them before the ball._"

"_I guess you're right._"

"_I usually am_," she playfully answered.

"_Before you go..._"

"_Yeah?_"

"_I went to college but never graduated and I do have a job. Good night_," and just like that he was gone again.

After chatting online with Gotham's vigilante for an hour she spent another four hours in front of her computer trying to decrypt the files so she could find a link between the heists Batman mentioned to Magpie, but without much success.

When she finally went to bed she was exhausted but still had a smile on her face; someone had asked her about her day.

* * *

Felicity was definitely not a morning person. Usually she would keep it to herself in the first couple hours after she woke up, still too sleepy to interact with others. However, the next day when she woke up she could barely open her eyes. Five hours of sleep was definitely too little for Felicity. She sleepwalked through her morning routine, took a shower with her eyes half closed, couldn't find her purse anywhere in her place, almost left the apartment wearing mismatched shoes and against her best efforts still arrived late at work.

Her day was spent sending e-mails, reviewing contracts and checking newspapers and police reports for criminals the police couldn't catch for some reason. During her lunch time she took a well deserved nap and when her shift at Queen Consolidated was finally over she went to the lair.

She was so focused on her computers, researching a series of robberies that she barely noticed the other team members arrive. Her attention only got caught much later when she heard a loud crash and looked up to see Oliver and Sara sparring on the mats. Obviously one of them had brought the other down and now they were rolling around trying to best the other. It looked like foreplay to them and Felicity half expected them to start making out at any moment. She huffed at the remaining hurt she felt and looked down at her keyboard.

Without her noticing, Dig approached her and sat at her side. "I know it can't be easy to watch them like that all the time. I'm sorry," he told her in a soft voice.

She gave him a sad smile and shrugged, "It's okay. It's not as bad as you think."

He didn't believe her for a second but let it go all the same. "Have you talked to the other vigilante?" he asked and watched as Felicity's face transformed and the sad smile was replaced with a grin.

"Yeah, we talked last night. I asked him about the files and who he is after and he asked me about my day."

Dig raised his eyebrows, "He asked you about your day?"

"Yeah, I guess he was being polite."

"Sure, polite," Dig repeated unconvinced and was about to comment further when Oliver groaned loudly, making the rest of the team look up to find out Sara had won and was straddling him with her forearm against his throat as he laid under her, a hand on her shoulder and the other one holding her wrist.

Felicity sighed and looked back down and Diggle scoffed at how oblivious the couple was or pretended to be to Felicity's feelings.

"Hey, are you hungry? I could die for a Big Belly burger right now," Dig invited her.

Felicity knew what he was doing and she was grateful he cared enough to try and get her out of the lair, "Sure, let's go."

She stood up, took her purse and started walking to the stairs with Diggle when Roy stepped in front of her, "Where are you going?"

"We are heading to Big Belly Burger to have dinner."

Roy's expression changed to one of disbelief, "And you guys were just going to leave me here alone with them?" he asked, pointing to the couple behind Felicity and Diggle.

Felicity rolled her eyes at Roy overreaction but she could sympathize with him, "You can come with us if you want."

He briefly smiled and hugged her, "Thank you". And just as quickly he had grabbed his sweatshirt and wallet and was climbing the stairs, calling behind him, "Let's go."

Felicity and Diggle looked at each other and shook their head before following Roy out.

* * *

The small group talked and laughed animated between bites of their burgers and fries. Roy had been a nice addition to the group, not only because he was extremely strong after being injected with the Mirakuru but also because he was a hard-working guy with his heart on the right place and a good sense of humor.

Also, Felicity could somehow relate to him, knowing he felt like an outcast both when he lived in the Glades and after, being thrown into the Queen's world by Thea, all the while knowing he didn't belong there. And now he was the new kid in the team and felt like he had to keep proving himself. He was very determined to proved he belonged in the team, spending a lot of time sparing with the others to try to control his strength and learning to shoot arrows, even though he still hadn't hit a single target. He had even asked Felicity to teach him the basics of hacking and bugging phones.

Diggle was in the middle of telling Roy about the time when they took Firefly down when Felicity's cell beeped announcing she had received a new message. Diggle stopped the tale and watched as she read the message and a grin returned to her face for the second time that night.

"Let me guess... the message is from a vigilante who doesn't shoot arrows?" Dig asked her and Felicity looked up at the guys with a fainting blush. She nodded quietly and then started typing a reply.

"What are you talking about?" Roy asked Diggle, confused.

"Well, our friend here has been contacted by Gotham's vigilante. Apparently he needs her help."

"You mean the Bat guy?" Roy asked Diggle before he turned to Felicity, "You are helping two vigilantes? Man! You really are badass with your computers, huh?"

She shrugged, "I do have some talents."

"What was the message about anyways?" Roy questioned.

"Uhm... he just wanted to know if I was home yet. He probably noticed I wasn't online and wondered if I had already finished working on the files he sent me."

"And have you?"

"Not yet, I told him it would take a while. My computer is running a program to try to decrypt it while I'm at work, but without a key it will be pretty hard to decrypt the files before the next heist."

"Well, if anyone can do it, I bet it is you."

She smiled appreciatively at Roy.

"I know it's none of my business but are you going to keep helping Gotham's vigilante or was this a one time thing?"

She bit her lip and shrugged, "I'm not sure. He only asked my help with these files but he did mention that the guy who used to help him with hacking has retired, so I guess he will continue to need my help in the future. Unless, of course, he finds someone else. Although I'm not sure how he would go about it. I mean, it's not like you can just put an ad on the paper looking for a hacker to help your vigilante persona. He only contacted me because he found out I helped Oliver... I mean, Arrow. So, I guess it would make sense if he asked my help again in the future-"

Diggle and Roy shared a smile as they watched Felicity continue to nervously ramble about Gotham's vigilante and her possible future involvement with him.

"I guess we all will just have to wait and see," Dig cut her off, putting her out of her misery.

"Yeah, but if he asked your help... then is he coming to Starling? Are you going to Gotham?" Roy was curious.

Felicity frowned, she hadn't even considered those possibilities. "Uhm... I don't think so," she told them but then remembered that Magpie's next heist would be in Starling and if Batman really didn't want Arrow's help, then he would have to come to Starling himself.

"Well, blondie, just don't leave us. We would miss you too damn much," Roy told her, giving her a half hug and Diggle nodded in agreement.

Felicity could only smile at them in return.

* * *

**A/N:** Hey guys. Thank you so much for the reviews. I used to really love writing fics but for the last couple of years I couldn't write anything that I enjoyed. Finally, a character (Felicity) has inspired me to go back to writing. So thanks for sticking around to read short chapters even though I'm still rusty.

And please, review!

It's what motivates me to keep writing.


	4. Chapter 04

It was Thursday night when Felicity finally finished decoding the files Batman had sent her and making the connection between Magpie's bank accounts and Margaret Pye. She smiled satisfied at her work and stretched her arms above her head from her spot on the couch. She couldn't wait to tell Batman they had made it and that he could go after Magpie knowing there was enough proof for her to be convicted for her crimes.

She stared tiredly into space as she thought back her last few weeks.

It is a little odd how sometimes we meet someone and things go in a way that makes you expect to have one kind of relationship with that person just to realize for the hundredth time that things don't happen the way you expect.

Until a few weeks ago she had been getting closer and closer to Oliver, letting herself believe that when he said he "couldn't be with someone he cared about" it meant her and that when he told her she was his "partner" it meant more than just a partner in Team Arrow. However, being told he was dating Sara Lance had quickly made the bubble she had been in pop and she couldn't completely hide her disappointment on him. Of course, she would still work on the Team because she truly believed on the work they did. And thankfully she had Dig and Roy to lean on as they made her life a little lighter. Still, she couldn't help but think that all the signs Oliver gave her led her to expect that their relationship would turn into something more eventually.

Instead, now she felt disappointed and uncomfortable around him. It was obvious she had been avoiding him as much as she could in the last couple of weeks, which in all honesty wasn't all that much since they worked a glass wall away from each other the whole day and together most night. But she was starting to suspect he was avoiding her as well.

Before, when it was only Oliver, Diggle and her, going to the lair made her smile and feel content; now she found that feeling when she was slouching on her couch, in front of her computer, talking to a different vigilante. She hadn't expected to enjoy so much chatting with a vigilante she hadn't even met in person, but she truly did.

She took a sip of the wine she had poured herself when she got home and opened a chat box to talk to the new vigilante in her life, "_Good evening, Batman_".

"_Good evening, Miss Smoak. How are you?_"

"_I'm good. A glass of wine always helps to make a night better._"

"_So you're a wine woman?_" he questioned.

"_I guess you could say that_," she agreed. To say she _liked_ wine could be the understatement of the century. "_What about you? Are you a wine guy?_"

"_I can appreciate a good bottle of wine but I don't drink all that much_," he told her.

She smiled and looked at her glass before taking another sip. For some reason, talking to him was so easy and she wondered how ofter they would still talk or how much their relationship would change after she told him she was done with the files and he didn't need her anymore. She sat her glass next to her computer and started typing, "_Well, I have good news. I've finally been able to decrypt all the files. It took a little while but I also connected Magpie's bank accounts to Margaret Pye. Sending it to you now_," she quickly sent him the files.

"_Thank you very much but I'm afraid I have bad news. I've learned this afternoon that Margaret Pye has taken some time off from Gotham's Museum and no one knows where she is._"

Felicity felt her jaw drop in shock, "Damn it! I knew I should have worked harder on this!" she told herself.

"_So, it was all for nothing?_" she asked, sadly.

"_Of course not. I'd like to think meeting you already made the chase to catch Magpie worth it_," he answered charmingly then added, "_Also, I'll contact the police department and give them all the information so when I catch Magpie she can be tried for all the crimes she has committed. I just won't be able to stop her before she goes to Starling City_."

"_And what does that mean?_" she asked though she already suspected she knew.

"_It means I'll be visiting Starling this weekend_."

For some reason her palms started sweating and she bit her lip, "_Will you need my help? I may be able to get you an invitation to the ball._"

"_Don't worry. I don't think I'll need help with the mission while I'm in Starling_."

"_Okay_," she replied, feeling a little rejected.

"_But we could meet, if you have time. I still need to thank you for all your help_."

"_It's not necessary. And to be honest, I'm not sure it would be a good idea to meet you_."

"_Why? Because I'm a vigilante?_" he asked jokingly.

"_Well... yeah. I promised my friend I wouldn't meet you by myself,_" she told him honestly.

"_You mean Arrow?_" he clarified.

"_No, another friend_."

"_Who you talked to about me?_"

She wasn't particularly excited about answering his question and she wasn't sure if he wouldn't get pissed off at her, but he deserved an answer. "_Uhm... yes. I needed to talk to someone._"

It took him a minute to reply, "_Is she trustworthy?_"

"_It's a he. And I trust him with my life._"

"_Then that's good enough for me_."

Felicity smiled at how easily he put his trust on _her_ even though he barely knew her. Of course, they had talked daily since they met but they had met less than a week ago and never met in person. Granted he knew much more about her than the other way around since he had done a background check on her, but still, it just wasn't normal for a vigilante to be so trusting!

She thought back on their conversation and frowned, "_If there is going to be heist in Starling and you are coming to town, then I have to tell Arrow_."

"_I figured as much. Does he know about Magpie?_"

"_No. Why?_"

"_I imagined you would have told him everything you've done to help me, that's all_."

"_I don't talk to him about the work I do for you just like I don't talk to you abut the work I do for him. It's only fair_."

"_Most people don't care much about being fair_," he pointed out.

She shrugged to herself, "_Well, I do._"

"_And I'm glad for that ; )_"

She chuckled seeing the wink/smile he sent her. He had always been polite and somewhat caring in their conversations, but also a little formal. It was nice when he became a little playful.

She yawned and suddenly became aware of how tired she really was, "_I should probably go to bed. Having a day job and two night jobs is pretty exhausting_."

"_Of course. Good night, Miss Smoak_."

"_Felicity_," she typed before she could think twice.

"_?_"

"_You can call me Felicity_," she elaborated and blushed. She could roll her eyes at herself at that moment, trying to become more personal with a vigilante when her work with him was practically done. He most probably would come to Starling, catch Magpie, go back to Gotham and never talk to her again. Then again, if there was one thing she had learned with Oliver it was that things most often didn't happen the way you expected.

"_Good night, Felicity : )_" he typed.

She laughed lightly at the smily face and turned off her computer before going to bed. She fell asleep the minute her head hit the pillows.

* * *

The next day was busy as usual as Felicity answered e-mail on behalf of Oliver and tried to summarize all the information he had to know about the company as he went from a meeting to another. Queen Consolidated was still far from safe, specially considering Isabel Rochev was still co-CEO, and meetings with investors was a necessary evil.

It was almost noon when someone called Felicity from reception to tell her there was a package for her to sign and she told them to send the delivery guy up without a second thought.

A few minute later she watched as the elevator doors opened and the young man walked towards her with a package wrapped in brown paper. "Delivery to Miss Smoak," he announced.

She looked at him with a frown, "Are you sure it's for Miss Smoak?"

"I'm pretty sure that's what is written on the package, ma'am."

"Who is it from?" she asked, not able to think about a single person who would send a package to her work.

The man checked a paper before handing it to her to sign. "B.A.T. Security Company," he read the sender to her and she quickly took the papers from him before signing and handing them back.

"Thank you and have a nice day," she told him, quietly asking him to leave.

The delivery guy just nodded and went back to the elevators without another word. As soon as he was gone Felicity checked the package again and sure enough the sender was B.A.T. Security Company. She had to laugh out loud; finally there was a vigilante with a sense of humor.

She opened the package and inside found a lot of bubble wrap around a bottle of 1972 Petrus and a small card. Inside it was written, "I hope the wine is to your taste. Thank you for everything. B."

She put the wine on her desk and sat back on her chair, just staring at it with a smile. It was a really nice gesture and it was nice to know Batman appreciated all the hard work she had done to help him catch Magpie.

She knew Batman had told her he wouldn't need her help while he was in Starling and once she told Oliver about the heist and Batman's visit on the weekend he would probably want to attend the ball. Still, as she looked at the bottle of 1972 Petrus sitting on her desk all she wanted to do was go to the ball even if she usually hated attending those types of function.

Biting her lip she finally came to a decision and quickly wrote an e-mail to the Warren Foundation, asking for an extra invitation, telling a white lie about accompanying Oliver to the ball as his EA. A few hours later she received an e-mail letting her know her name had been added to the guest list.

Once she was officially invited to the ball and her work in Queen Consolidated was done, it was time to go shopping. Surprisingly, it took her less than an hour to choose a long blue dress that was open in the back and a pair of silver high heels to wear to the ball.

Entering her car when she was done shopping, she took a minute to prepare herself before heading to the lair. As much as she would love to postpone telling Team Arrow the news about the heist and Batman until the last moment, she knew it had to be done. She was just thankful there was a good bottle of wine to drink afterwards.

* * *

The entire team was in the lair by the time Felicity arrived. Oliver and Roy were sparring on the mats as Diggle and Sara walked around them, making comments on their technique.

Felicity put her purse on her desk and cleared her throat loudly, "Hey guys, can I talk to you for a moment?" she asked, making the other team members stop what they were doing to walk closer to her, as she stood in front of her computers a little nervous.

"Uhm, so...I have an announcement to make," she started. "Actually, it isn't really an announcement. There is just something I have to tell you. And I think it's kind of important and I know not all of you will be as excited about it as me-" she kept talking, while gesticulating widely with her hands.

She was completely unaware of the curious looks the rest of the team was giving her. They had been used to her babbling but when it came to important news she usually got anxious to the point she would boldly and directly tell them whatever was going on.

Oliver stepped closer to her to get her attention and lightly touched her arm, "Felicity, why don't you just tell us what's going on?"

"Sure. Right. I can do that," she agreed. "So, you guys remember how I've been helping Batman this last week?"

They all nodded, some more enthusiastically than others, except for Sara who apparently had no idea.

"Well," she continued, "he asked me to decrypt some files that would link a jewel thief to some high profile robberies. He was hoping he would be able to catch her before her next heist but she has disappeared."

"Does Batman have any idea of when or where will be her next heist?" Diggle asked her.

She nodded hesitantly, "It will be here in Starling. Tomorrow night."

Oliver crossed his arms in front of his chest, "So, now he wants our help," he deduced somewhat arrogantly.

Felicity frowned at his tone and put her hands on her hips, "Actually, he doesn't." Her pissed off tone made the others turn to take a better look at her before she continued. "He's doing fine on his own. But since there will be a heist in Starling and he is coming to stop it I asked him to tell the vigilante in town, you know, out of courtesy. And he is nice enough to not mind. So, get off of your high horse because he doesn't need your help; he has me."

All team members kept staring at Felicity, unsure if she realized she had implied that Batman had her on _his_ team.

Diggle walked closer to Felicity and softly asked her, "So, what's the plan?"

"Uhm... there is no plan. I just wanted to tell you there will be a heist tomorrow evening and that Batman will stop it."

"Who is the target?" was Oliver's turn to ask.

Felicity walked to her computers and after typing for a few seconds the screen showed the invitation for Warren's Fundraising Ball. "Warren's Foundation is throwing a ball to raise money for the Glades. They will be auctioning some jewelry. Batman believes Magpie will try to rob the Hummingbird diamond during the ball."

"And who is Magpie?" Sara questioned in a neutral tone.

"Magpie is her alias. Margaret Pie is the curator of Gotham's Museum and apparently an accomplished jewelry thief. Batman wanted to arrest her before she came to Starling but she has disappeared."

"And are we sure Batman has the right person? That this woman is really Magpie?" Oliver wanted to confirm.

"Yes. I followed the money trail. It's her."

"Then tomorrow night we'll also be there," Oliver stated.

"Batman got this. This is his criminal," Felicity protested.

Oliver completely ignored her as he continued, "Sara and I will go to the ball. Felicity will stay in the lair to give us information and directions through the coms. Dig and Roy are on back up duty."

Felicity crossed her arms in front of her chest and furrowed her eyebrows, "I'm not working tomorrow. I'm going to the ball," she declared.

Oliver slowly turned towards her and hissed, "What?"

"I said I'm going to the ball."

Oliver took a step towards her, trying to looking intimidating, "No, you're not. You don't work the field. Besides, I need you helping us here in the lair."

Oliver's highhandedness and bossy attitude only worked to make Felicity even angrier as she also took a step closer to him, refusing to be intimidated, "You don't _need_ me in the lair, you _want_ me here. And I'm not your _employee_ when it comes to Team Arrow, I'm a _member_ of this team. So, when I tell I'm not helping you get in Batman's way and try to steal his criminal from him, I mean it and there is nothing you can do change my mind. Tomorrow I'm going to the ball and that's it."

"Felicity..." he tried again, in a warning tone.

"You know what? I'm done for tonight. It's been a slow week and Team Arrow doesn't need me right now so I think I'll just go home and drink some extremely expensive wine," she told him as she grabbed her purse and then muttered under her breath, "At least one vigilante keeps his promises when it comes to wine."

Felicity walked to the stair and Oliver started to follow but Diggle grabbed his arm and shook his head, "Let her go, man. Right now anything you say will only make things worse."

They all heard the door slam shut and Oliver took a deep breath before turning to Diggle, "She doesn't know this vigilante and she is not trained to go in the field. This is dangerous, Dig. She shouldn't be fighting me on this. This is not like her."

Diggle shrugged, "She is a smart woman and she has been in the field before. Besides, she is right; it's not up to you to decide what she does with her life."

Diggle walked back to the mats telling Roy, "Let's go kid, I'll train with you." Sara quickly followed the two men, leaving Oliver behind to wonder how things had changed so drastically so fast.

* * *

Felicity arrived home half an hour later, still frustrated at Oliver and his bossiness. She threw her new dress and shoes on her bed and called the pizza place around the block to make an order. Tonight she just needed to catch up with her favorite series while eating pizza and drinking some very expensive wine.

She opened the bottle while she waited for the pizza and drinking the first sip she moaned softly. It was even better than she expected. She quickly took her phone and sent a message to her new vigilante, "_Thanks for the wine. You didn't have to_."

A few minutes later she got a reply, "_Did you like it?_"

She rolled her eyes wondering who wouldn't enjoy such an amazing wine, "_Of course._"

"_Then it was my pleasure. Still working?_"

She slouched on the couch and sighed, "_No, gave myself the night off._"

"_Good for you_."

She wondered if she should tell him that she would be attending the ball but decided against it, after all he had told her he wouldn't need her help. Still, she felt obliged to tell him Oliver would be there.

"_I told Arrow about the heist and you coming to town. He said he would attend the ball. Sorry I couldn't convince him otherwise._"

"_It's fine. I expect as much_."

As she took another sip of her wine she heard her interphone buzz, "_I have to go. Pizza has arrived._"

"_Okay. Enjoy your night, Felicity._"

She smiled and put her phone in silent mode. She didn't want to talk to anyone else tonight.

* * *

**A/N:** Hey guys! I'm sorry this took longer than expected to update. Two things happened: first, I usually write out of order so though I have half of chap 05 written I just couldn't finish chap 04; second, I had the chapter almost done when I listened to a song that inspired me and suddenly I had to change some things in this chap, which took longer than I expected.

Some people asked me who I imagine as Batman. In my mind, Batman is Christian Bale after "_The Dark Knight_" and the third movie never happened. There will be reference to things that happened in the movie later on.

Please, review and let me know what you think!


	5. Chapter 05

Saturday was clean up day. During the week Felicity divided her time between her job as EA, trying to help Oliver save Queen Consolidated, and helping Team Arrow save the city, having no time to take care of herself. So Saturday was the chosen day to put things in order; she would wake up late, start the day by doing laundry, then washing the dishes that had piled up during the week and cleaning up the apartment. If she was in a specially good mood she would even organize her closet. Then she would take care of herself by dying her hair, waxing and doing her nails. More often than not she would still go to the lair at night, but when she had a rare night off it was usually spent with take out, pop corn and ice-cream on her couch, either reading, watching movies or catching up with her favorite series.

However, this Saturday was an unusual one. Felicity had woken up with a startle at six, which was a first, and before noon she had done almost her entire routine for the day, the only thing missing was choosing the color of her nail polish to get her nails done. She had no idea how she would spend her entire afternoon waiting for the ball without going crazy. The idea that Oliver would be on Arrow duty and she wouldn't be there to give him support made her nervous. Moreover, she would attend the ball knowing there would be a heist and that not only Oliver would go to the event with Sara but Batman would also be there. It was all just so nerve wrecking.

Felicity kept staring at the box that contained numerous colorful polish nails while her mind ran various scenarios of how things could go wrong that night when she heard someone knock on her door.

She quickly checked the peep hole before opening the door to Diggle, who was holding a bad of Chinese food, "Hey. I brought lunch," he announced.

Felicity smiled and gestured for him to come in. He walked to the couch, setting up the cartons of food on the coffee table while she walked to the kitchen to grab plates, glasses and sodas for them. They quietly helped themselves to the food until finally Felicity broke the silence, "Don't get me wrong, it's not that I'm not glad that you came but... why exactly are you here?"

Dig smiled at her little babble, "We haven't talked all that much lately and I wanted to check with you some things about the ball."

Felicity dropped her chopsticks on her plate and turned a little to better focus on him, "If you came here to ask me to work with Oliver tonight-"

Before she could finish the sentence Dig cut her off, "That's not why I'm here."

"It's not?" she asked a little surprised. When she first saw him standing on her doorstep she thought he was there to convince her to work with Oliver that night.

"No. I get that you helped Batman track this woman and you don't want to go behind his back and help Oliver catch her in the last minute. I'm not saying I completely agree with you, but I can respect that."

Felicity reached out to Dig and squeezed his hand in a sign of appreciation before going back to eating her food, "Then what is this about?"

"As I said, I respect what you are doing. However, I'll be filling in your place tonight, checking security cameras and all that and it seems there will be three vigilantes in that party, so anything could go wrong," Dig sighed. "I promise you I won't say a word to Oliver or anyone else but I need to know what is Batman's plan for tonight."

Felicity stared at him for a moment before blinking a few times, "I don't know."

"Felicity how could you possibly not know? You've been helping him this whole week. I promise I won't tell anyone but, please, you have to tell me."

She rubbed her forehead knowing what she had to say would sound strange, "I really don't know. Yes, I've helped him get proof that Margaret Pye really is Magpie and was responsible for all those robberies. But we never really talked about his plans to catch her, he just said he would be coming to Starling and that he would like to meet me to thank me for my help."

"Please, tell me you're not meeting him at the ball," Dig begged.

She shook her head, "Of course not. I told him you thought it was dangerous so he just sent me a bottle of a really good and very expensive wine in thanks."

Diggle frowned, "He sent you a bottle of wine? How did he know you like wine?"

Felicity avoided his eyes and went back to nibbling her food as she answered, "I kind of told him in one of our conversations."

He stared hard at her and pressed, "Felicity, what exactly do you talk about with him?"

She shrugged noncommittally, "Everything, I guess. Whatever comes to mind." Then she paused and blushed before confessing, "He asks about my day."

Dig sighed and rubbed a hand over his face, "Oh, man."

"It's not a big deal. He was just being nice," she tried to reason and convince him at the same time. "Besides, I think he doesn't really have a team. Sometimes he seems a little lonely," she wonders aloud. "He probably just wanted to talk to someone, anyone."

"Yeah. And out of everyone in the world he picked you," Dig pointed out.

She looked at him, then shrugged looking away, "I'm glad he chose me."

The tone in her voice made him soften and smile, "I know. And I'm glad he asks about your day; you deserve it. But I'm still worried about what might happen tonight. Not only about the robbery and the vigilantes meeting, but you'll be there alone."

"I'll be fine," she reassured him. "I'm not interfering one way or another. There will obviously be plenty of vigilantes to stop the robbery, so I'm not getting in the middle."

"Sometimes things happen differently form what we plan, you know that. I just don't want you to be on harm's way. I'll look after you through the cameras but please be careful and keep your cell close."

She rolled her eyes but smiled, "I promise," She paused then continued, "I'm pretty excited about tonight. It's been quite a while since I last went out and it wasn't as bait or something Arrow related," she said, eating her last egg roll.

Dig had just finished eating when he furrowed his eyebrows and looked at her as he realized something, "How did you get an invitation to the ball anyway?"

She smiled proud of herself, "I have my ways," she paused then continued, "And I may have let Warren's Foundation believe I would be attending the ball as Oliver's EA."

Diggle chuckled, "You really are remarkable."

Felicity smiled sadly, thinking back at her good days with Oliver that now seemed to have happened a lifetime ago.

"Well, I should get going. You probably want to take your time getting ready to the ball and you should enjoy the day off," he told her, standing up and she did the same, walking him to the door. "If you need anything, just let me know, okay?"

She hugged him tightly, "Thanks, you're a good friend."

Once Diggle left Felicity quickly cleaned up the little mess they had made and chose a simple white nail polish, after all there was no one for her to try to impress at the ball and she really needed at least one thing to be simple in her life.

* * *

As soon as she arrived at the ball Felicity started to wonder what the hell she had been thinking. From the moment she stepped into the ballroom she had felt unwelcome. This wasn't her world, there was too much bling and name dropping for that. She had only attended these functions so far as Oliver's EA and spent the whole time by his side, pointing out possible investors and giving him the information he needed to approach them.

Tonight, however, she was not there to work, she was there just to enjoy herself. Unfortunately, as she walked further into the room and looked around, finding the place filled with couples, she realized it would a little hard to enjoy herself when she had no one to talk to.

She headed for the bar and sat on one of the stools before ordering a glass of wine. A few moments later she felt her clutch vibrate and checked her phone. A small smile played on her lips as she read Diggle's message, "_You're beautiful tonight_." She shyly looked at the nearest security camera and discreetly waved at him. A second later there was a new message, "_Don't forget to be careful._" She typed, "_Always_," and put her phone away.

She watched the people around her as they met and got reacquainted with each other for the next half an hour when something caught her attention. Oliver and Sara had just arrived in the ball, which led the other guests to start whispering about the couple that had been presumed dead until recently. Sara was wearing an emerald green dress that fit her body perfectly while Oliver looked stunning in a black smoking.

As Felicity watched the couple walk around, greeting and briefly talking to the other guests she wondered how deceiving looks could be. She bet no one in the party would guess how damaged and lethal the golden couple really was. She was so distracted with her thoughts she didn't notice she had been staring until Oliver's eyes locked with hers. He stared back at her blankly, as if he barely knew her, a hand still resting on the small of Sara's back. Felicity frowned at the image, aware that a couple of weeks ago she would have been irrationally upset and bothered by the couple's closeness, but at the moment she felt almost indifferent.

A minute later Oliver broke their gaze to look at the man who had been talking to him and Sara, and Felicity returned her attention to her wine. Another half an hour passed by as Felicity continued to nurse her glass of wine while she watched the other guests and listened to the talented band that was playing. She had lost sight of Oliver soon after the couple had arrived and decided it was better that way, after all she was not working with Team Arrow tonight.

Felicity was distractedly playing with her glass when someone approached her from her right. "Good evening," a husky voice greeted and as she turned around she was faced with one of the most handsome man she had ever seen. And considering she knew Oliver that was quite a feat.

She looked around and behind her but there was no one there, so finally she raised her eyebrows at him in surprise and pointed to herself, "Me?"

He chuckled and grinned, "Yes, you. I've noticed you've been here for a while, so I assume you're not accompanied," he left it open as a question.

She thought briefly of Oliver and how she was usually accompanying him in these events. But tonight it was different, she was by herself. For all she knew Oliver might be talking to investors, checking the perimeter or making out with Sara at the moment.

Felicity looked at the man in front of her and answered with a small smile, "I'm by myself."

"You won't be if you let me join you," he offered.

She wasn't sure why but before she could think it through she had already motioned to the stool next to hers, inviting him to join her. She stared at him for a few moments and tilted her head, "I'm sorry but do I know you? You look familiar..."

He waved to the bartender and order a scotch before turning back to her, "I don't believe so. I'm certain I would remember if I had met someone like you."

Felicity blushed but rolled her eyes, "Cliché but sweet. Do a lot of women fall for that line?"

He cleared his head to hide a smile and took a sip of his scotch, "Since we're being honest most women don't call me on my bullshit in the first five minutes of conversation, if that's what you mean. And you'd be surprised to learn that I don't usually say that to women."

Felicity's cheeks continued to tingle and she looked down, "Sorry, that was rude of me. I wish I could blame the wine but most of the time I forget to think before saying things."

"It's fine," he waved a hand to show he didn't mind. "It's refreshing to talk to someone who is actually honest."

"Most people like honesty as long as it is complimenting," she pointed out.

"I'm not most people."

"You sure don't look like most people," she somewhat agreed.

He chuckled lightly, "Really?"

"I mean, that's good. You look good. Very very good. Yummy, even," she paused. "Please, tell me I didn't just say that."

He smiled kindly, "You look good, too. You're amazingly beautiful."

Felicity blushed even harder and looked down shyly, "Thank you."

As she looked back up at him he noticed that she kept stealing glances at the dancing floor with a longing look every couple of minutes, watching as couples danced around talking and laughing and having fun. She looked so full of life and joy that he never would have imagined she missed something like dancing; it seemed just natural that someone as cheerful as she seemed to be would go out, dance and have fun whenever she wanted.

He smiled fondly at her and offered a hand, "Would you like to dance?"

She looked up at him startled, only then realizing she had been caught looking at the dancing floor, and lightly shook her head, "I'm not very good at it."

He didn't waver, "That was not my question. Besides, we don't have to be good at it, we just have to have fun."

She tilted her head to the side and smile, taking the hand he had offered and letting him walk her to the dancing floor.

The last notes of an Usher song was playing when he put a hand on her waist, while holding the other in his and brought her closer to him. She was a little surprised by their close proximity but somehow it didn't feel uncomfortable or awkward, just unexpected.

As soon as the first notes of "When I was your man" by Bruno Mars started playing she chuckled sadly and rested her forehead on his started slow dancing to the song and to Felicity's delight the man holding her not only was a great dancer but he led her well enough that she was dancing pretty well too.

"Any ex-boyfriends I should worry about?" he asked and Felicity looked up at him surprised.

"Huh?"

"You chuckled when you heard the song," he pointed out.

"Oh, no. No ex-boyfriends. I mean, I've had boyfriends before but it's a little odd how one moment you see that person all the time and are so in love and then suddenly you have nothing in common with them and then you break up and just lose touch after being so close and-" she cut herself off, realizing she was starting to ramble, "No, no relevant ex-boyfriends. There hasn't been anyone for a while if that's what you were asking."

"It wasn't exactly but I'm glad all the same that there isn't anyone."

She blushed again and smiled, ignoring his comment. "I just like this song. I used to have this bad habit... maybe I still do... to let people take me for granted. This song reminds me not to settle for someone who doesn't appreciate me or making me happy."

"I can't imagine how someone could take you for granted," he told her softly.

"Oh, they can quite easily," she snorted. "Besides, you don't really know me. I may not be all that you imagine."

He tilted his head while still slow dancing, "I doubt that. You're obviously so full of life; you shine. There is a spark in you."

She rolls her eyes and coyly shakes her head, "Since you like honesty, I'm calling you on your bullshit right now."

"No bullshit," he insist. "Just telling things the way I see them."

Felicity cleared her throat and tried to change the subject, "So, are you new to this? I don't think I've seen you in other functions."

"Actually, I'm not from Starling. I'm just here on business."

"Oh," she paused. "How long are you staying?"

"A few days. It depends on how business go."

"I hope it goes well," she offered politely.

"It wouldn't be too bad if it took a few extra days," he replied, smiling at her.

She looked up at him and grinned, "No, it wouldn't."

Suddenly his cell started beeping and he took it from his inside pocket, checking it before informing her, "I'm sorry but I have to go." He paused, "Though, I would love to have dinner with you while I'm in town."

"I'm usually busy at night," she told him honestly, but soon realized it sounded as if she was rejecting him and added, "But I'd love to have coffee with you."

He gave her a bright smile and said playfully, "Great. Now I just need your name and number."

She rolled her eyes at herself, blushing harder, "Of course. I'm Felicity, here's my card," she said handing him a business card she was used to handing out when she went to functions as Oliver's EA and had forgotten in her clutch.

"Fancy card. I'll give you a call tomorrow?" he asked for permission.

She nodded with a smile, "Sure. But I still don't know your name."

"I'm sorry," he said, offering her a hand, "I'm Bruce."

"Bruce?" she repeated. "It's a little uncommon. The only Bruce I've heard about is Bruce Wayne but it's obviously not-" she cut herself mid-sentence as she took a better look at him and then swallowed hard.

Bruce gave her a weak smile, "Would it really be that bad if I'm Bruce Wayne?"

She blinked a couple of times, "Yes." However, at the surprised look at his face she shook her head, "I mean, no. Of course not. It's just I'm not used to going to coffee dates with billionaires. Not that I think having coffee together means it's a date. I have coffee with plenty of people and it's not a date. We are just friends. Not that I'm implying we're friends. After all, we barely know each other-"

Bruce touched her arm to get her attention and as soon as her eyes met his she stopped talking. He smiled, "Felicity, I'd be delighted to go on a coffee date with you. I'll call you tomorrow to set the details. Now, I really have to go," he told her before getting closer and kissing her cheek. "Enjoy the rest of the night," he told her and then disappeared into the crowd as Felicity watched him go, touching where he kissed her on the cheek.

* * *

**A/N:** Hey guys!

Thank you so much for the reviews! I'm so touched you cannot imagine!

When I heard "When I was your man" by Bruno Mars this week I was like "This is the song for Spark!" and got some ideas of how the story should feel like, if that makes any sense to you. I'm pretty excited about it.

This was the chap I had most fun writing so far even if I had to re-write part of it. Anyways, I think writing Felicity/Bruce will be quite a delight.

As always, please, **review** and let me know what you think!

Reviews are what motivate me to write!


	6. Chapter 06

After watching Bruce leave in a rush Felicity walked back to the bar a little unsure of what had just happened. She sat on the same booth she had previously occupied and the bartender poured her a glass of wine before she even ordered.

She was still a little surprised she had just met Gotham's billionaire bachelor of the year... for the third year in a row. Of course she had seen pictures of Bruce Wayne in the covers of magazines and newspapers, not to mention on the internet, specially when he returned to Gotham after being presumed dead. That had been a field day for the press, she remembered. But the notion that Bruce Wayne would flirt with her and ask her out seemed so absurd that she dismissed any and all similarities between the man she had been dancing with and the one smiling on magazine covers. Besides, the way the press described Bruce as an irresponsible womanizer who literally burned his parents' mansion to the ground and took the entire Russian ballet on a cruise clashed harshly with the charming nice guy she had been talking to until moments ago.

She sighed and took a sip of her wine, trying to clear her head. When she decided to go to the ball she had been nervous thinking she may find Oliver, Sara or maybe Batman. She knew she might have even bumped into Isabel Rochev or Moira Queen. But never in a million years had she expected to meet Bruce Wayne.

After he left she had nothing to do except wait for the robbery, so she resigned herself to sporadically sip her wine while glancing every now and then at the area where the jewelry was being showcased, as she waited for Magpie to make her appearance. Except it never happened.

It was almost two o'clock and most of the guests had already left when Felicity decided to call it a night. It would look strange if she was the last to leave when she shouldn't even have been invited to the event in the first place. Moreover, she was supposed to be assisting Oliver during the ball, when in reality she had no idea where or how he had spent his evening.

Finally, accepting that Batman was wrong, Magpie hadn't intended to steal the Hummingbird diamond and Oliver would be annoyingly gloating the next day, she took a cab and went home.

Felicity had just arrived home and was taking her high heels off when her phone beeped signing she had received a message. She quickly grabbed it expecting a message from someone from Team Arrow telling her that either the robbery had happened after the ball or that there was an emergency.

Instead, she was surprised to find a message from Batman, "_You were beautiful tonight._"

Her mouth dropped open and she blinked twice, "_You were there? You saw me?_"

"_Of course I did_," he instantly answered.

"_And you are certain it was me?_"

"_Fitting blue dress open in the back, long blonde hair in lose waves to the side, very high high heels. Am I right?_"

"_I guess it was me._"

"_And as I said, you were beautiful. Besides, I knew what I was looking for. Your background file came with pictures._"

She groaned and rolled her eyes; she should have expected that. "_I didn't see you."_

_"Maybe it's because I was wearing a different suit tonight?_" he asked playfully.

"_You could have said 'hello'. By the way, I'm sorry to say you were wrong about Magpie. She didn't try to steal the diamond_."

"_Actually, she not only tried to but she stole it,_" he corrected her.

"What?" she loudly asked the empty apartment but typed, "_How? When? You were there and you did nothing?_"

"_All went as planned. I never intended to stop her_," the vigilante told her.

Felicity stared at the small screen of her phone in shock, "It's just my luck! When I decide to help a new vigilante he turns bad". Still, she had to ask, "_Why?_"

"_Because if I interrupted her there might have been collateral damage. I talked to Warren before the ball and he agreed to exchange the real diamond for a replica with a tracer, which is what Magpie stole_."

Felicity smiled and felt her heart beating again. Her instincts had told her to trust Batman and she always followed her instincts. She didn't want to think what she would have done if they were wrong. "_So, what now?_"

"_Now, I think it's time you call your contact in Starling PD and give him Magpie's location_."

"_He'll also need the info I decrypted to be able to charge her for all the robberies_," she told him.

"_Sending you the links with the tracer and the info_," he typed before doing as promised.

"_Thank you. I'll call detective Lance now_."

"_Okay. I'll probably stay in town until she is arrested and charged. Good night, Felicity_."

She watched Batman sign off of their chat and sat on the couch with a sigh, preparing herself to wake up detective Lance in the middle of the night to inform him the location of a thief whose robbery hadn't even been discovered yet. That would definitely not be a fun conversation.

* * *

It was almost noon when the sunshine coming from the window hit Felicity's face, giving her no choice but to wake up. She turned and rolled in bed, still too lazy and sleepy to get up yet, but eventually her stomach started to rumble and her hunger got the best out of her.

She grabbed her phone on her way to the kitchen, intending to do a scavenger hunt on her fridge to try and find anything that could be considered eatable. After a few minutes sniffing food she decided it was safe to eat the rest of the pizza she had ordered in sometime that week and heated it up on the microwave. She sat at the kitchen counter and held a slice of cheese pizza in one hand, while checking her phone in the other. There were a few missed calls from Oliver and Diggle, as well as messages from them and an unknown number.

Choosing the devil she knew, she opened Oliver's messages first. "_Batman was wrong. No robbery. Talk about a plan tomorrow_." "_Starling PD just arrested Magpie. You know anything?"_ "_We need to talk about the robbery and last night. Meeting at the lair at 7_."

She rolled her eyes, imagining how angry Oliver must be that he wasn't in control over what had happened the night before and decided to deal with him when the Team met at 7pm.

Then, it was time to read Diggle's messages. "_Am I crazy or did you dance with Bruce Wayne in the ball?_" "_No heist. Guess Magpie isn't in Starling after all. TTYL_." "_Meeting at 7. Let me know if you need a ride._"

She smiled reading Diggle's messages, specially the first one. She couldn't believe Diggle had recognized Bruce as a celebrity when she hadn't. She quickly sent him a message saying she wouldn't need a ride and that they would talk later.

Finally, she opened the message she had received from an unknown number. "_Felicity, I'd love to have coffee with you this afternoon. Five thirty at Chez Moi Bistro okay for you? Look forward to seeing you. Bruce._"

Felicity read and reread the message a few times before pressing "call". She wasn't thinking straight and she wasn't sure about what she was doing, she was just doing what her gut told her to do.

After only two rings he answered, "Hello, Felicity."

"Hey. Bruce. Hi," he replied awkwardly.

He chuckled, "Hi. Please don't tell me you're calling to cancel our coffee..."

"No, no. I mean, unless you want to cancel it. You said you were in town on business, so if our coffee date gets in the way of your business-" she started but Bruce cut her off.

"It doesn't. Are you free today? I've heard about this French Bistro that has just opened and it sounds pretty great."

"Yeah, Chez Moi Bistro. You mentioned on the message," she paused. "About that, when we agreed to go out for coffee, did you mean you wanted to go to a café or a bistro, or did you mean coffee in a more general sense, like going to a diner that also serves coffee?"

"Do you have any place in mind that you'd like to go?" he asked and for some reason she could bet he was smiling.

"There is this diner that I really like and they have these delicious burgers and fries. But they also serve coffee if that's what you want..." she offered, knowing Big Belly Burger had quite a different atmosphere than Che Moi Bistro.

"It sounds great. Five thirty good for you?"

"It's perfect," she agreed. "I'll text you the address."

"Okay. Can't wait to see you."

She smiled, "Me too. See you soon."

* * *

After trying on half of her closet, including some almost formal wear, for her date with Bruce Felicity was relieved she arrived less than ten minutes late for their date. Still, when she entered the diner and saw Bruce sitting by himself on a table by the corner she was a little surprised. She hadn't really processed the fact that he not only had asked her out but also seemed to be quite interested in her. She slowly approached him, checking him out while being careful not to trip on anything on her way to their table and fall in front of him. He was wearing jeans and a casual long sleeved tee that made him look younger and more laid back.

As soon as he noticed her he stood up to greet her with a hug, "Hey, I'm glad you arrived. I was starting to wonder if you had changed your mind."

She shook her head and the expression on her face showed it sounded the most absurd idea she had heard in a long time. "Sorry. I had a little trouble choosing what to wear to a a coffee date," she confessed.

He took a better look at her casual clothes and she blushed, "I know a pair of jeans and a sweater don't seem to be a difficult choice but for a moment there really was the possibility I would come here wearing a gala dress or naked."

Bruce choked on air and frowned a little and Felicity blushed darker.

"I think that would provoke quite a commotion among the male customers as well as some female ones. Maybe next time we can choose somewhere more private and you can wear or not wear whatever you want," he offered with a wink.

Thankfully, Carly interrupted them when she walked to their table, "Hey, guys. Can I get your order?"

Bruce looked down at his menu while asking Felicity, "So, what's good here?"

She shrugged, "Pretty much everything, though I usually go with the same thing."

Carly turned to her, "So, burger, fries and soda?"

She nodded, "Yeah, thanks, Carly."

"I'll have the same thing," Bruce announced. As Carly left, Bruce grinned at Felicity.

"What?" she asked, shifting in her seat.

"Nothing. It's just refreshing to meet a woman who actually eats. Most women I know seem to live on lettuce ad water."

"Well, if you don't like that then you shouldn't have gone on a love cruise with the entire Russian ballet. What did you expect those ballerinas to eat?"

Bruce chuckled and sat back, "It wasn't like the press made it look like. But I see you've checked on me."

She blushed, embarrassed that she had been caught, "It wasn't really checking, just Googling. And I couldn't help myself; computers are kind of my thing."

"Really? Then why do you work as an EA?"

"So, you also checked on me?" she accused back.

"It was on the card you gave me," he pointed out.

"Right," she cleared her throat, considering how to answer his question. "I used to work in IT at Queen Consolidated but then I was promoted... or maybe demoted to EA."

Bruce faked surprise, "Why?"

Felicity shrugged, "Well, after Mrs. Queen was arrested because of her involvement with the undertaking and Olive had to step in as CEO, he asked me to become his EA."

"Oliver Queen asked you?" Bruce confirmed what she had just said.

"Yeah. I've helped him with some computer stuff after he came back from the island and I was one of the few people he knew in Queen Consolidated when he became CEO."

Bruce nodded quietly, watching her, "It makes sense not. That he asked you to become his EA. After all, we try to keep the people we trust close to us."

"That's what he said," she agreed.

He leaned forward, resting his arms on the table and holding her hand, "I'm sorry if I'm being bold but is there something going on between you and Oliver?"

"What?" she asked surprised.

"It just seems to be a lot of sacrifice to abandon a promising career doing what you love to be an EA to Oliver Queen."

"He's a friend and he needed my help," she explained.

"Still," he insisted.

She sighed, "I believe in him... in what he is trying to do... for Queen Consolidated. When you believe in someone's cause, sometimes you have to make sacrifices."

"That's true," he conceded. "So, there is nothing between you two?"

She blushed lightly, "I might have harbored a small crush on him for a little bit. But it's over; he has a girlfriend and I-" she stopped, not knowing how to finish her sentence.

"You're here, with me," he smiled at her, caressing her hand.

She smiled back shyly, "I am."

Carly broke the moment when she arrived with their food, quickly serving them and leaving. Both Felicity and Bruce started to dig in, silently eating for a few moments before Felicity asked, "What about you? How many girlfriends do you have at the moment?" she jokingly asked, reminding both of them of his reputation of a womanizer, as she ate her fries.

"No girlfriends. To be honest I haven't been on a date in a very long time. Though I'd love to go on a second date with you," she replied as he finished his burger.

"I thought you'd have to go back to Gotham soon."

"Not yet. We could have dinner tomorrow," he offered.

"Lunch would be easier for me," she suggested.

"Lunch it is."

Felicity smiled, "Thank you for being understanding." She sighed, "I'm sorry but I should probably be going. I have this thing I have to go to..."

"Not another date, I hope."

She snorted, "Yeah, right. Because I go out on dates all the time."

Bruce chuckled and she blushed and shook her head at herself, "Can we pretend that didn't happen?"

"That what didn't happen?" he faked confusion and she smiled.

"Thanks. I had a really good time today but I really need to go," she and stood up, getting ready to leave.

Bruce put a few bills on the table to cover their order and stood up with her, walking her outside and to her car. "Good. Then I still have a chance with you even with my reputation," he said half hopeful, half questioning.

She smiled, "I think you have a really good chance if you really are the guy who just had a burger with me and not the womanizer playboy in the cover of magazines," she reassured him.

He stepped closer, resting a hand on her waist and the other on her shoulder and kissed her softly on the lips before taking a step back, "I'm glad to hear that. I'll call you tomorrow about lunch, okay?"

She smiled widely, "I'll be waiting. Good night, Bruce," she said before entering her car and driving to Verdant, but not before looking at him one more time through the reviewing mirror.

* * *

Felicity climbed down the stairs and into the lair knowing what would be expecting her. She was the last to arrive, the team was sitting around the place, expect for Oliver who was standing next to her computers, with his arms crossed in front of him. As soon as he saw Felicity he stood up a little straighter, showing he was pissed off.

"What the hell happened last night?" he asked her.

Felicity ignored his little tantrum and walked to her dest, putting her purse on it and sitting on her chair, "Magpie stole a fake diamond with a tracer. Batman sent me the link with the tracer and I gave it to detective Lance along with enough information to charge Magpie for all her crimes. Magpie was arrested this morning. End of story."

"There shouldn't have been a robbery in the first place. Batman should have told us everything so we could have stopped it last night."

She sighed, noticing the eyes of the entire team watching their discussion, "It wasn't your call, it was Batman's call. And he'd rather have her rob a fake diamond than put anyone in danger by interrupting the robbery."

"It's my city!" he grunted.

Felicity Frowned, "It doesn't _belong_ to you! And it was his criminal," she defended.

Roy cleared his throat, trying to break the tension, "When did she rob the diamond anyway? No one saw anything."

Felicity turned in her chair and started typing on the computer, bringing up videos from the ball, "From what I know she was disguised as part of the security staff and made the exchange when the jewelry was put on the showcasing area. Most guests were on the dancing floor then and she was dressed for the part so no one noticed anything."

"Pull up the video; I want to see when it happened," Oliver asked, and everyone got closer to watch the screens.

Felicity typed for another moment and then videos from different cameras started to show on her screens. She pointed to a woman dressed in a discreet black suit in one of the videos, "This is her..." she forwarded the video a couple of minutes and then added, "And that how and when she robbed the diamond."

"Felicity," Roy started hesitantly, "is that you in the blue dress? And are you dancing with Bruce Wayne?" he asked, pointing to another scream where sure enough Felicity and Bruce were dancing together.

"Uhm... yeah?" she confirmed. Then she frowned and turned to him, "How did you recognize him so quickly?"

Before Roy had the chance to answer Oliver interrupted, "You were flirting with Bruce Wayne during the job?"

"Just to be clear, last night I was _not_ working. I was attending a gala and having fun; that's all."

Oliver snorted, "Obviously."

Felicity rolled her eyes, "Anyways, if that's all..."

"Are you dating Bruce Wayne?" Roy asked, still surprised at how closed Felicity and Bruce were in the video.

"Don't be ridiculous. Felicity and Bruce Wayne would never actually date," Oliver said before Felicity could answer Roy's question.

"Uhm... Why wouldn't I date Bruce Wayne? Or do you think he is the one who wouldn't date me? Am I not pretty enough? Interesting enough?"

"Believe me, Blondie, you were _hot_ last night. And if I didn't have a girlfriend I would certainly have already hit on you," Roy told Felicity with a smirk and a wink.

Diggle chuckled amused before telling her, "I can certainly see why any man would be interested in you."

"And some women too," Sara said unexpectedly. All turned around with shocked looks and raised eyebrows, but she simply shrugged, "Just saying."

Oliver took a step back, raising his hands in defense, "All I'm saying is that you're a real person, you wouldn't date someone... like Bruce."

"Someone.. like Bruce?" she repeated, mocking. "Someone... handsome? Charming? Who is an amazing dancer?" she shook head, "Whatever. I'm not discussing my personal life right now. Do we have work to do tonight?"

"Sara and I will patrol the Glades. Slade is too quiet, he must be planning something, so I need you too look for leads on him," Oliver told her.

"Roy and I will spar down here and keep you company," Dig said, slapping Roy on the back and walking to the mats. Roy quickly followed Dig and Sara walked to the corner to get ready for patrol.

When there was only Oliver and Felicity remaining he walked closer to her, "About Bruce... All I meant is that you deserve better."

Felicity looked up at him and shook her head with a smile, "Oliver, I'm the only one who can decided what is best for me. That's not your job; it's _mine_." She looked to the side and saw Sara standing by the stairs, "Now you should go, your girlfriend is waiting for you."

Oliver looked back at Sara and then at Felicity, finally sighing and walking to the stairs. Felicity watched them leave, turned back to her computers and smiled; she couldn't wait for lunch.

* * *

**A/N:** The response to this fic has been overwhelming and all I can really say is thank you, thank you, thank you and please keep the reviews coming. They really mean the world to me!


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